Claudia: Beginning (Again)
by CaptainAmericaTARDISmustache
Summary: A mysterious young teen arrives at the foot of Avengers Tower in a storm, with a note saying Sam Wilson said it would be safe. They show her kindness, of course. But will her powers, her past, and the lies she told to cover them up ruin yet another chance for Claudia to start over? The beginning of an epic saga. Please review!
1. The Stranger in the Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Marvel's characters, settings, or plots. I only own Claudia and Jack.**

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it's been FOREVER since I last posted. I happen to be a very scatterbrained human being. Anyway, this character of mine is my favorite (shhh! Don't tell her siblings!) and I use her in EVERYTHING. She is literally THE most developed character I have ever created. Don't even try to tell me she's fictional. I have a black with yellow belt in American Freestyle Karate. That would be a bad idea. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. PLEASE leave a review! Happy reading!**

 **One**

 _The Stranger in the Storm_

Thunder rumbled over New York City and the rain poured through every crack and crevice it could find. A hooded feminine figure stumbled through the downpour as every drop stung her face. She winced as lightning cracked across the sky. _Just keep pressing on,_ she told herself. The girl looked, squinting up at the stars, but they could not be seen through the dense clouds. She looked down dejectedly at her sticky note. The ink was beginning to run. If she just found this address, the man had said she'd find shelter. Through the blinding sheets of rain, she saw a light. Maybe there was some kind of hope, after all. She dragged herself toward the light.

Eventually, she found herself at the foot of the enormous tower. The teen walked up to the door and pounded on it. "Hello?" She glanced at her post-it. Did she really expect this to work? Why should the Avengers care for a monster like her? She shook her head. Turning on her heel, she dejectedly began to walk away.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" a voice with a clipped British accent suddenly inquired from behind.

She turned, but there was nobody behind her.

She observed cameras pointed at the door, several hidden speakers, and a small, high-techy looking screen next to the door. Of course! Jarhead or whoever must be on the other side! She picked up a twig and began trying to type the passcode in on the screen, failing miserably. The tech couldn't sense her, but maybe it could see her sticky note? She held up her note in front of the camera. Stopping to think for a moment, she pulled it back down and scribbled, " _Sam Wilson said it would be safe here_ " on the post-it before resuming her attempt to get in.

Meanwhile, Tony Stark had been lounging in the Tower.

"Sir?"

"Shh, I'm enjoying the sound of the rain," he groaned. Stark sighed heavily. "What is it, JARVIS?"

"Something rather peculiar is going on at the front door."

"Pull up the live camera feed."

"Already on it, sir."

Stark pulled out his phone. "What the heck?"

A floating post-it note seemed to be suspended in mid-air outside the tower.

"Barton's probably bored anyway. Send him to check it out."

Indeed, Barton was bored. He was trying to beat his personal best on the dartboard in his room. He tossed a dart over his shoulder, hitting the bull's eye for the umpteenth time.

"Mr. Barton?"

"Yeah, JARVIS?"

"Something funny is going on out front. Mr. Stark proposed you check it out."

"Sure. I'm bored anyway." He grabbed his bow and quiver and made for the elevator.

The girl frantically waved her Post-It in front of the cameras. She felt absolutely _ridiculous_. "Help?" she squeaked. She dropped her aching arm and sighed. Wilson had sent her to _Avengers Tower_ , as if a monster like her could ever be worthy of the mere presence of an Avenger. She'd already met a few, and the few she'd met she had done nothing but maybe cause them grief. She turned on her heel, ready to face the rain again. Maybe she could find a dry spot in

some subway station somewhere…

"Is somebody out here?"

She spun around in shock. Clint Barton stood in the doorway, bow ready.

"Uhhhh..."

Barton rolled his eyes and lowered his bow. He radioed Stark. "It's just a kid. Disengage the weapons."

He turned to her. "Why are you here?"

She looked at the ground in shame before fixing her startling gray eyes back on him. "I didn't have anywhere to go, and Sam Wilson said it'd be safe here." _Well, she hadn't lied..._

"You know Sam?"

She nodded. "He gave me this." She extended her sticky note to him.

"Why don't we go inside first?"

The teen nodded, shivering. She shuffled after him into the sparkling lobby.

Barton took her post-it. The ink was smudged and runny, and the yellow paper itself was so torn and wet it barely held together. The girl held her breath. Surely the Falcon wouldn't have given her false information. Maybe it hadn't been him. Maybe it was a prank. Oh gosh, had she gone soft enough to miss it was a prank?

"This is the passcode, and it's in Sam's handwriting. Looks like you told the truth." Barton looked up. "Take down your hood. No need to hide here," he smiled. "You're welcome to wait out the storm with us."

"Th-thank you." _Stuttering?_ She was that weak already?

She pulled down her charcoal gray hood, revealing her long, dripping wet brown hair. She followed him into the elevator.

It started a rather awkward ride up, but about halfway up, Barton started asking questions.

"What's your name?"

"Claudia."

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't know."

Barton looked at her. Not in puzzlement, not in judgement, but in sincere understanding. He glanced away. "Are you a foster kid, then?"

Claudia nodded vigorously. _Lies, lies, lies._ So far, she was doing an excellent impression of an innocent little girl. She hated herself for that.

With a _ding_ , they reached their destination.

"Gotta tell Stark you're here, and we might want to contact your foster parents, just so they know you're safe," Barton said.

"Yeah." Maybe Amelia could cover for her? She couldn't go back, but maybe she could convince them...

 _Lying to an Avenger._ If Claudia had the option, the would tell the truth. She hated the lies, but there was no other choice for someone like her.

Barton led her out of the elevator and down a hallway into a large common room. "Stark?"

Stark was collapsed on the couch spread-eagle, asleep. Barton turned to Claudia. "He hasn't slept in days, maybe even a few weeks. We should probably leave him."

"Don't even try and act like you're not relieved. It's like he's been trying to break a sleeplessness record for the last few weeks. We've all suffered," said a female voice from behind.

The duo spun around. A woman with short red hair stood there, chewing a piece of gum.

"You're right, Nat. I can't fake it."

Claudia analyzed the woman. Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, trained as a Soviet assassin, converted to SHIELD by Barton here, and a strong presence in the much needed fall of the HYDRA invested SHIELD. Current Avenger. Danger level- through the roof(And considering that they were in a skyscraper...).

"Who's this?" She asked, popping her gum.

"Um, my name is Claudia," Claudia said, again feigning innocence. Innocence, what a noble concept...

"Natasha."

The two shook hands quickly. Romanoff glanced at Barton, and then at Stark, sprawled across the sofa, snoring loudly. "We ought to let him sleep. Steve can move him so we can have our meeting in here. He can sleep through anything, but his snoring is obnoxious."

Claudia laughed. If anyone could see through her, it was Romanoff. She felt like she read her like a book. Romanoff eyed her, then smiled. "Eighth grade?"

Claudia nodded. She would be in the eighth grade if she were in regular school, she supposed. So at least here was one truth she'd told so far.

"You don't seem very impressed," Romanoff smirked.

Claudia shrugged.

Romanoff asked many of the same questions Barton had. Claudia continued her act with her until more Avengers began to gather in the common room. First, in came a tall, clean-shaven, broad shouldered man with clean cut blonde hair and blue eyes. Claudia recognized him immediately, even without his star-spangled uniform or shield. Captain Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America. How was she going to lie to Captain America? She couldn't believe herself!

Next came an even taller, more muscular man, with a blonde beard and long hair. Thor, Claudia guessed from the large war hammer at his side. _Mjölnir._ Claudia felt a stab of unworthiness. She knew she could never lift that hammer, even if she got the opportunity.

After Thor, a much shorter man with curly salt-and-pepper hair shuffled in. Claudia's only guess was that he must be the legendary Dr. Bruce Banner. Unlike most people, she had always looked to him as a man of science rather than the Hulk. Maybe it was that she knew what it was like to be called a monster. Maybe it was because she hoped he could maybe find a cure for her.

Claudia shook her head. Even if he could find a cure, she was the last person to deserve it.

Finally, all the Avengers were present and accounted for, Captain Rogers had moved the heavily sleeping Tony Stark to his room(it was quite the spectacle, too), and everyone sat around the common room. Claudia sat on the couch uncomfortably. She had her legs tight together and her hands folded in her lap. Her clothes had mostly dried, but her jeans were now stiff and itchy, which only added to her discomfort.

"So," Captain Rogers started. "What's our first order of business?"

"For those of you who haven't met her yet, this is Claudia," Barton said, absent-mindedly fiddling with an arrow. "She needed a place to wait out the storm. Since Stark is currently otherwise occupied, I was hoping Pepper would be here so maybe we could get Claudia into a guest room for the night."

"Welcome, Claudia. How old are you?" Thor asked.

"13," Claudia answered, hiding her annoyance with this question. That was the fourth time she'd been asked that.

"Well, Miss Claudia," Captain Rogers said. "There's a guest suite on my floor. You can go wash up while we take care of some other things. My floor has a picture of my shield next to the elevator button. You can't miss it."

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure, miss."

Claudia followed the path Barton had taken her back to the elevator. When she was sure no one was looking, she pulled a pen out of her pocket to press the button. Sure, there was metal and plastic already there between her and the electric component, but she didn't want to take any chances. Wait, why hadn't she just used this on the keypad outside? For a trained strategist, she felt pretty stupid. Too late for that now.

The elevator reached Rogers' floor with yet another _ding_. There was no door to his suite, so Claudia was practically _in_ his living quarters. It felt kind of weird- he had always been such an icon, but now, standing in his home, he seemed so much more human. Only Claudia knew this wasn't his home; his home was back in 1945. She bowed her head for a moment. She knew the feeling.

Claudia looked to the left and saw a hallway painted a different color than the rest of the room. She followed it and found the guest suite- a good sized bedroom with plain decor, a bed, a chest at the foot of the bed, and a nightstand. Branching off of it was a bathroom and a small laundry nook. Claudia immediately plopped her backpack on the chest, put her clothes in the washing machine, tapping the buttons with her pen again, and made her way into the bathroom. She caught her face in the mirror. A girl with grimy skin, long, greasy, tangled brown hair, a strong, stubborn jawline, and frightening gray eyes that shifted with her emotions stared back at her. The dark circles below her eyes were etched deep. Claudia sighed and pulled herself away to shower. It felt like an eternity since she'd had a warm shower like this. She got out and toweled herself dry. Wrapping herself in the fluffy bathrobe provided, she caught her reflection in the mirror again. Her dark circles had improved a good bit, considering they were at least 42% muck before. She picked up the brush and started working on her hair. You could now tell it was long to her waist, thick, wavy, and at a place between chocolate and honey brown. Claudia smiled at her reflection, but dropped it immediately. She could never simply wash away her past. That wasn't possible.

She finished brushing out her hair and retrieved her clothes from the laundry nook. They were so clean now. They even smelled fresh. Claudia dressed herself. As she did, she saw her reflection in the full length mirror. What was with all these mirrors? She almost couldn't bear the sight of herself. Now, in only her bra and underwear, you could see practically every scar. Claudia traced her finger along one across her back. _Her first failed mission._ The sad part was that it wasn't from the mission itself, but from the cruel man who enslaved 8-year-old girls and forced them to kill. When they failed? That was where the scar came from. Only Claudia hadn't failed her assigned mission. She had blown her cover when she realized what the object was.

Closing her eyes, she pulled her lightweight charcoal gray hoodie over it. She didn't need to be thinking about that now. 5 out of 6 current Avengers were male, so passing out and having a scarring flashback in her underwear would be pretty embarrassing. She pulled on her jeans and draped her tan leather jacket over the bedpost.

Claudia couldn't find any sleepwear, (other than oversized Stark Industries footsie pajamas, which Claudia shuddered at the thought of who might actually have _worn_ them.) so she decided just to try and sleep in her clothes. She hadn't slept in pajamas in weeks, anyway. At least now she was in a bed.

Claudia tossed and turned, but sleep wouldn't come. Her bed was too soft. It felt like it might swallow her whole. Thunder rumbled in the distance. She supposed sleep made no difference anyway. With sleep came the nightmares. And with the nightmares came her weakness.

 **I hope you enjoyed chapter one! I am fully aware of the vagueness of her powers and background, but it'll make sense in a few chapters or so. Kudos to anyone who figured out what her powers are, but please don't spoil it in the reviews. And I've noticed that you haven't been reviewing (tsk tsk tsk). Please leave me a review to tell me what you think! I really do appreciate it. Thanks for reading!**


	2. The Extraordinary Horror

**Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed chapter one! I personally think this next chapter still needs quite a bit of tweaking, but THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Anyway, if you can make it through this one, chapter three will be a treat for my fellow Captain America fanatics! I would give you a spoiler, but that might spoil it *sigh*. If you could leave a review, please do! I really appriciate your feedback! So far only a couple IRL friends have reviewed (thanks, Dad!) and if you like it, review it! Thanks!**

 **Two**

 _The Extraordinary Horror_

After trying to sleep with no avail, Claudia slipped out of bed. She listened closely- no thunder, no rain. The storm had passed. She pulled on her combat boots and her jacket. The teen decided to explore. After all, one never knew when one might need to escape. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It read 1:34am. Hopefully, most of the Avengers were in bed or otherwise occupied.

Claudia tiptoed out of her guest suite. Captain Rogers' lights were off. That meant that he could be asleep or out and about. Either way, that didn't affect Claudia too much. Her stealth and practicality had always been her forte.

She didn't want to take the elevator (too conspicuous), so she opted to look for some stairs. After all, you couldn't rely fully on the elevator. There had to be some stairs somewhere around here. Sure enough, she found the door to a tall staircase that seemed to go on and on forever in both directions. She slipped through and started up the stairs.

Claudia bounded up the stairs in a particularly fast and peculiarly quiet fashion. Eventually, she found a door with the lights on behind it. Curiosity got the best of her and she wandered inside. She opened the door and nearly gasped in amazement. She'd found her way into Tony Stark's armory.

12 high tech suits of armor lined the walls. No wonder Stark never slept. He was too busy building suits. There weren't as many as before his run-in with the Mandarin. In fact, the 12 in front of her were only 7% the amount from before. That entire collection had been decimated. If he built all these suits by hand from scratch...

Claudia whistled quietly and leaned against the wall.

 _Big mistake._

Lights all over the tower suddenly blinked out. Claudia ran for a hiding place, which wasn't hard in the dark. She crawled just inside the beginning of an air duct. She was suddenly very glad that the storage high tech suits of armor required so much air conditioning.

Peering through the vent, Claudia heard the shuffling of feet and mumbling of profanities.

"Stark, language!"

"Really, Cap? This electrical panel is fried! Do you know how long it took to build this?"

"Half as long as it took to build all these suits?"

"12%. But still. That took, like, _forever_."

Claudia suppressed a giggle. Tony Stark, the billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist, _superhero_ , sounded like a whiny teenager with a cursing problem. Not to mention Captain Steve Rogers, Captain America, the first Avenger, sounded like the exasperated dad who was 100% done with his kid.

More curses from Stark. "I've never seen anything like this before. The storm is long past, so we didn't get struck by lightning. I would blame Thor, but this doesn't even look like lightning. In fact, I don't know _what_ this looks like."

Stark muttered another long string of profanities. He sighed and started working on the panel. "So, we have a guest, I heard?"

Claudia's ears pricked up. She felt a pang in her stomach. She was in just the right position to hear what they really thought. They probably hadn't picked up on her act, but she was still nervous nonetheless. She knew that one day, she would be called out on her lies and punished for her past. The scary part of living like that is never knowing _when_.

"Yes. She's in the guest room on my floor, so you don't have to worry about her."

"It's a girl, then?"

"A teenage girl. Don't get any ideas."

"I was sleeping when she got here. Tell me about her."

"She seems to be a decent girl. Clint said she was a foster kid. She showed up with a note from Sam."

"Wait, you're telling me that Sam Wilson sent her here? All you know about her is that she's a foster kid?"

"Pretty much."

"But why would he send her here? Must be a special kid."

"I don't know."

"Ever stop to check?"

"Why would you think she was anything but normal?"

Claudia held her breath. Had she been found out?

"Just saw something on the security cameras before she got here, that's all."

Claudia's heart raced. She hadn't thought of the security feed! She heard more footsteps.

"Got this under control, boys?"

It was Romanoff.

"Yes," Stark said, the annoyance in his voice ringing loud and clear. "We were just discussing our guest. I missed her, after all."

"She's a sweet kid."

"Did you notice anything... Strange about her?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Claudia felt a powerful pang in her stomach. She'd been discovered.

"Come on out, Claudia. I know where you are. There's no reason to be scared."

Taking a deep breath, Claudia climbed out of the vent.

"You were in there the whole time?" Rogers asked, shocked.

All she could do was nod.

"Did you do this?" Stark inquired, pointing to the fried electrical panel.

"Yes."

"That's amazing," he muttered. "Why? How?"

Romanoff and Rogers eyed him.

"No. You deserve to know," Claudia said, raising her head. "Anything electronic I touch either dies or explodes. It's a... curse. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a gift. It's anything but. I was exploring when I leaned against the wall."

Romanoff narrowed her eyes. "I know who you are."

Claudia shivered. For someone like her, those were the five most horrifying words to be left ringing in her ears. Romanoff, of all people, should know this.

"I only believe two ghost stories, because I encountered both. But to be honest, your story scares me worse, and I haven't even heard it yet."

"Two ghosts?" Stark asked. "The Winter Soldier-"

"Bucky," Captain Rogers corrected.

"And the Silver Phoenix." Romanoff's gaze met Claudia's now hardened eyes. "The youngest master assassin ever. I started my training at the age she mastered her first round of it."

"Why are you here, then?" Stark asked. "To kill us?"

"I left those lives behind. I never wanted to be an assassin. I came here because I had nowhere else to go."

"How can we trust you?"

"She's telling the truth. The only reason I was able to call her bluff is that I am an equally skilled liar, but she's telling the truth on that part." Romanoff looked at her. "I'm sorry. We'll help you however we can, but you have to lie low. For now, let's all get some sleep.

Claudia backed up before turning around and running back the way she came. She found herself back in the bed, her stomach twisted into painful knots. Her searing embarrassment stung her. A tear trickled down her cheek. No. Crying seemed too human for her. She couldn't be human if she was a monster. The tears kept coming, nonetheless. Drowning in silent tears, she finally was swallowed into the inky darkness and escorted to her world of nightmares.

 **I hope you enjoyed chapter two! As I said before, Cap-lovers, hold on at least until chapter three for a treat! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**


	3. Yet Another Chance

**Author's note: Hey ya'll (Yes, I'm a Southerner, and I'm therefore allowed to say that XD). I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! I personally think I'm off to a rough start, but once we get past the beginning, I've got a whole AU planned out based on this :) and did I mention how awesome it is? Anyway, on with the story! Please leave a review and enjoy!**

 **Three**

 _Yet Another Chance_

Claudia sat curled in a tight ball on her bed, her steely eyes staring emptily at the wall. She was torn between escape and crying her eyes out. As the monster they had made her, the latter option didn't exist, but the sad, scared little girl inside her longed for a chance to show herself there. The Avengers, Earth's a Mightiest Heroes, were deciding her fate.

Claudia mused to herself who would take her side, if anyone. She guessed Romanoff and Barton might be for her, somehow. Stark probably hated her for frying his armory. Captain Rogers was probably against her. She didn't know about Thor, but she knew she was almost definitely outvoted. Outvoted on what was the question. Claudia didn't know what she wanted.

After lying there for what felt like an eternity, night fell. She continued to blankly stare at the wall in fetal position all night. If it was possible to aggressively stare blankly at a wall, she had succeeded in doing so.

Finally, at about 9:47(what makes you think she was counting?), Romanoff entered the room. Her expression softened in solemn understanding at the sight of Claudia. The saddest part was she didn't even look like she had been crying. Just how much of her humanity had been stripped away from her? Three plates of food sat untouched on the chest at the foot of the bed.

"Hey. How've you been doing?"

"Not great," Claudia sighed, continuing her aggressively blank wall stare-down.

Uneasily, Romanoff sat next to her, a plate of dessert in her lap. "Steve made apple pie. Thought it might cheer you up."

"Thanks."

"You're not gonna eat it, are you?"

"What makes you think that?" Claudia finally shifted out of her fetal position. Flexing her stiff muscles (which were quite impressive for a 13 year old girl), she gazed expectantly at Romanoff.

"We're a lot alike, Miss Claudia. Do you remember the Swarovski Ball, two years ago?"

Claudia slowly nodded. She knew Romanoff could catch her lies, and of all the Avengers, she was the only one who even came close to understanding.

"I thought that was you. I went on my first mission at that age. You still hold the record. Well, you would, if there were any. The gap is unmistakable to any trained eye. You're a ghost story. Not as old as the Winter Soldier, but nonetheless a ghost. To be honest, your story scares me more. Because I've lived it, and I still don't know it."

"How inspiring," Claudia commented dryly, focusing her cold, hard gaze on the wall again. "Get to the point, please. I've been waiting all day. Are you turning me in, kicking me out, or hiding me in the closet?"

"For now, you're staying here. We can't just turn in or kick out one of our own. Stark has agreed to let you stay. Captain Rogers, Barton and I have agreed to train you. Thor says that if you are of 'valiant character', he will welcome you as an Avenger. Banner says just don't touch his science equipment."

Claudia's jaw dropped. An Avenger? She fried Tony Stark's armory and was being made an Avenger? She didn't deserve to be in the mere presence of one, nonetheless be one!

"They want you to prove yourself worthy before making it official, so don't get too excited yet. Eat something, get some sleep. Your training starts tomorrow."

Romanoff stood and left a shocked Claudia behind, mouth gaping. Claudia blinked and shook her head before pinching herself. Upon realizing that this wasn't a dream, she up and ate her (cold, but yummy) dinner and apple pie. Who woulda thunk Captain America baked? She took off her rumpled jacket and heavy military gortex combat boots and jumped into bed. Sleep still didn't come, as usual, but at least she would have something to daydream about before the nightmares came.

The next morning, after consuming a plate of eggs and bacon that had miraculously appeared in her room, Claudia made her way upstairs. She was supposed to start her training today. Captain Rogers was waiting for her in the training room.

"Before we can learn strategy, I have to know how you fight. Being an ex-assassin, I'd guess you're pretty good. Let's put that theory to the test. Romanoff was supposed to assess your skills, but she got called away unexpectedly."

"What do you want me to do?"

"The only thing we can for me to get an up-close look at your hand-to-hand combat skills," he said. "Don't worry, I won't pull the shield on you."

Wait, did he just say...?

Rogers threw a punch to her head. Claudia's reflexes and training kicked in immediately. She blocked it, and then leapt over a sweep kick intended to trip her.

"Your reflexes are amazing. Now we're just going to play a game of tag. Basically, we're going to spar. No hitting too hard on either side, got it? There's some gloves and a helmet for you over there."

Claudia put on her gear and ran back, torn between nervous butterflies and the urge to squeal. Even she admired him. Everyone did. But Claudia suspected that was part of the problem. She had been stripped of her humanity as a monster. His had been forgotten as a hero. Captain America wasn't allowed to make mistakes. Ever.

The sparring match was over in a blur. Fighting was just so instinctive, so carved in her brain, that it didn't even occur to her what was happening. The total score ended up 17-15 in Captain Rogers' favor. Claudia, who wouldn't have broken a sweat yet if not for the stuffy helmet, trudged over to the locker and took off her gear.

Claudia reported back to the training room, ready for her next challenge.

"You're a worthy opponent, ma'am. A bit more hand-to-hand and strategy training and I'm convinced you could give Romanoff a run for her money," Rogers said, out of breath.

"Thanks," Claudia replied. "I think."

Rogers laughed. "Don't mention it. Seriously. Natasha would kill me." His phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out. "It's Sam. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. You may want to stay at least ten feet away from me for a good signal, though."

He nodded gratefully at her and picked up the call.

Claudia looked around the training room, her wandering eye falling on the iconic shield leaned against the wall with care. It represented hope, freedom, and the sacrifice that it costs. She wished with all her heart to be able to represent that. While there was pain in it, at least it was a beautiful thing. To the few people who knew she existed, she represented pain, death, and manipulation. Maybe even tragedy if anyone ever knew her story. Claudia ran her finger over the long, thin, smooth scar on the left side of her jaw. It ran from below her ear to the beginning of her chin. No. Now wasn't the time to get nostalgic.

With a small beep, Captain Rogers finished his call and picked up his shield. "The Winter Soldier's been spotted. I'm going to look for Bucky. Stay here."

The Winter Soldier... She knew that name. She'd known it for a long time. The name "Bucky" was more recent, but she knew they were synonymous. He didn't know what it meant, he had told her last year. He had still been searching...

"No. I'm coming with you," Claudia found herself blurting. "You can't just up and leave your trainee. Plus, you may know how Bucky thinks, but I understand the Winter Soldier."

Captain Rogers looked solemnly into her startling, shifting gray eyes for a moment, contemplating. "How do you know him?"

"We camped in the same dumpster for about a week last year. We've worked together in the past, but they wiped that, too. You were the only thing he remembered at that point, but even that was fuzzy." She held a concrete expression, but on the inside Claudia cringed. She waited for him to assume she was lying, as everyone did the moment her cover was blown.

"Would your powers hurt a motorcycle?"

"As long as I don't touch the radio, the lights or the battery."

Captain Rogers looked her up and down. "You're fast, but can you keep up with two super soldiers and a guy with mechanical wings?"

"Speed, stealth, and strength is my thing, and I certainly know my way around here."

"Then suit up."

Claudia's eyes widened and shifted to a shocking, gleaming silver. A small smile of gratitude crept up the right side of her face, then the left. "Aye aye, Captain."

"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that..."

Claudia grabbed her jacket and raced for the garage. Captain Rogers tossed a helmet at her.

"You ready?"

With a nod, Claudia put on her helmet and mounted Captain Rogers' motorcycle behind him. As they left, her stomach twisted into anxious knots. Would her presence make or break any chance of Bucky Barnes' return?


	4. The Soldier's Trap, part I

**Author's note: Hey everybody! I know I say this every time, butI hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Now this is where things are going to start picking up. Don't worry, my fellow Cap fanatics- there will be a lot more of Steve in the future! Oh, right, spoilers. Sorry. Anywho, let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns(if you understood that reference, you're awesome(if you understood that one, you're even awesome-er!))) Don't forget to leave a review! Enjoy!**

 **Four**

 _The Soldier's Trap_

They met up with Wilson at the Smithsonian, near the Captain America exhibit.

Captain Rogers approached Wilson. "Sam. You said he was spotted somewhere around here?"

"Apparently, he's been a regular visitor to the exhibit for a year, and somebody just a few hours ago recognized him. He left forty-five minutes ago, according to the tour guide who recognized him." Wilson's gaze shifted to Claudia. "Speaking of recognizing people... You clean up nice. I see you got my note," he said, the last sentence aimed at Rogers.

"Yeah, we got it. Did you know about..."

"Figured it out when she killed my phone. If I hadn't, I would've sent her somewhere else."

"Um, I'm standing right here. And he couldn't have gone too far. Even if he knew the streets like I do, he can't be more than five miles away if he walked, and running and flying are pretty much out of the question."

Wilson grinned. "I knew I liked the way you think."

Rogers shrugged. "Well, you heard the girl. Do you have any experience in tracking?"

"A bit, but it's hard to track a ghost. Trust me, I'd be long dead otherwise."

The trio decided to simply ask around for a few miles. In the crowds, Claudia felt safer. Her two safe places- alone and in a crowd. Funny thing. Either way, practically nobody knew she was there, and she liked it that way.

A strange, cold, tingling sensation buzzed in her shoulder as it brushed with a stranger's. She knew that feeling. Cold metal with electronics below the surface. She whipped around, searching for the stranger with the metal arm. That could only be...

"What is it?"

"I found him."

Her startling steely gaze followed the man. He had on a baseball cap and a fleece jacket. In June.

"Where?" Captain Rogers asked, concern and urgency in his voice.

The man ducked into an alley. "Follow me." Claudia led them through the bustling crowds. Fighting against the hordes of strangers, they finally made it to the alley. Captain Rogers grabbed his shield from his back, just in case. There, slumped against a dumpster, the man sat on the ground. His head and arms hung limp, though his left arm seemed much stiffer. If you looked under the hat and past the long, greasy locks of hair, there was a face Claudia recognized. Captain Rogers realized, too, who it was.

"Bucky?" Rogers dropped his shield, leaving it propped against the brick wall, and rushed to Bucky Barnes' side. He furrowed his brow at the absence of an answer. "He seems fine, but he's... unconscious."

"I saw him walk in here minutes ago. He can't be." As Claudia stepped forward, she saw something familiar out of the corner of her eye. A shadow, coming and going in a flash from the top of the building to her left. She had led them into a trap.

"Get down!" she shouted. She grabbed Wilson and kicked the shield next to her in her hand, crouching in front of Captain Rogers and the unconscious Barnes. A wave of bullets suddenly rained down on them, bouncing off the shield and hitting the ground with gut wrenching clinks. Pain tore through Claudia's left shoulder, but she gritted her teeth and gripped the shield handles more firmly.

The bullets stopped. Claudia heard the shuffle of footsteps. Trained footsteps, to be exact. They had the signature rhythm and muffled volume of a trained spy or assassin. She stood up and handed the shield back to Rogers. "I believe this is yours." She squinted at the rooftop. "Get him back to base. I'll take care of this guy." She touched her shoulder. She pulled her hand away to find blood everywhere. She wiped it on her jeans in disgust. She may be injured, but there was no way she was letting this guy get away.

She quickly spotted a ladder and scurried up. She raced across the rooftop, coming to the other end. Standing at the edge, she spotted a figure on the horizon. "Jack?" she whispered in shock. Then, he disappeared.

Claudia winced as she felt a hand on her injured shoulder. "Claudia?" Captain Rogers saw the blood. "Gosh, you've been shot." Her head started spinning. She fell limp into Rogers' arms. "Sam!" He called. "She's lost a lot of blood! She's blacking out!" He looked into her eyes as her vision faded. "Hold on, Claudia. Everything'll be okay."

And then Claudia was swallowed into the inky blackness, and all she could hope for was anything but a flashback.

Claudia sat bolt upright, breathing hard and covered in sticky sweat. She was in a bed in an infirmary of some kind. Her fingers brushed her shoulder. It was tightly bandaged. She went to crane her neck and take a look, but pain shot through the side of her neck. "Ow!" She noticed she was hooked up to an IV. She couldn't remember if she had had another flashback, and she was grateful of that. She buried her face in her hands. She had led Captain America into a trap and gotten herself shot. By a shadow of her past, no less. It had been four years since she'd last seen Jack. From the look of it, it seemed he'd survived his wounds from their last encounter.

Sam Wilson entered the room, Captain Rogers behind him. "Hey, how's my patient doing?"

"Well, I'm alive. That's good. Where am I?"

"Infirmary of Avengers Tower. You lost quite a bit of blood. Honestly, I'm surprised you've recovered so quickly."

"Oh, I'm full of surprises."

Wilson chuckled. "At this rate, you'll be fine by next week. I must say, it was difficult to explain to the paramedics why they couldn't use their normal gear on you. They cleaned, stitched, and bandaged you up before letting us bring you back."

"Just curious, but who's gonna have a cow over this? Stark or Romanoff?"

"Stark was more upset than Natasha, but considering how impressed with you she was..." Captain Rogers said, a smile creeping up his face. "That's not too upset."

"You scared us for a second there. Don't do that again."

"Don't count on it," Claudia smirked. "Scared? For someone you met three days ago?"

Wilson laughed. "Does Steve here need to tell you how long we'd known each other before I volunteered to help him take out HYDRA?"

"Four. We'd met on a run four days before."

"See? You've still got a day to go." Claudia's smirk dropped. "Wait, where's Barnes?"

The two men's expressions darkened. "He got away as we were trying to take care of you," Wilson sighed.

"So Bucky's still out there, but with a malfunctioning arm."

"Luckily, your shoulder wasn't the only thing hit. We have a detached mechanical pinky finger, and Stark thinks he can track the programming from it."

Claudia felt queasy. All that and both Jack and Bucky had gotten away.

The rest of their conversation was blurry, always overcast by that awful thought. How could she have let this happen?

She eventually got herself unhooked from the IV, and went to her room to get dressed. She decided on a broad-strapped black tank top to keep her sleeve off of her shoulder, jeans, and her black leather combat boots. Claudia put her right arm in the sleeve of her signature jacket, draping the other side over her injured left. She made her way to the common room. As an Avenger in training, she now had to be present for at least the first part of the nightly meeting. She self-consciously brushed her hair over the ghostly scar on her jawline with her fingers before taking a seat on the couch next to Romanoff, who smiled at her. Claudia returned the smile and turned her eyes to Captain Rogers as he started the meeting.

He told of their progress on the search for the Winter Soldier and Claudia's quick intervention, and how they were on the right track. Claudia felt every eye glued on her at every available moment. She didn't know what to do, so she looked, stone faced, at the floor.

Throughout the meeting, her mind wandered. Jack, her first friend... She was glad he was alive, but she wasn't so sure the feeling was mutual. He had been like an older brother to him, and how had she repaid him? Now, even from afar, you could see the machine had overtaken the man.

And it was Claudia's fault.


	5. The Soldier's Trap, part II

**Author's note: Hey everybody! Sorry it took so long to update! This is kind of a shortish chapter, but it explains some stuff from the last one(*cough* why it was so rushed *cough*), gives some of Claudia's background, and it introduces a very important character. I hope you enjoy, and please remember to review!**

 **Five**

 _The Soldier's Trap, part II_

Jack laid in his hard, grimy mattress, unmoving. Alone in the silence, he awaited his punishment. He had missed both of his targets and had been seen. His genius plan had been ruined by one he used to call friend.

He didn't understand Alice's sudden change. She had killed just as many as he had. She had always been the black sheep, even among their fellow assassins. Her curse had set her apart, of course, but even more so her strange ethics. She had randomly decided that killing was wrong and ran away, like she had some sort of choice. When Jack was sent after Alice… Or _Claudia_ , or whatever Captain America had called her. Jack mentally scoffed. The "Sentinel of Liberty" probably didn't know zip about her. Not like Jack did.

Jack was doing something dangerous in letting his mind wander. That's what had happened to Alice- now Claudia or whoever had taken her place. She may have thought she had changed, but her frightening gray eyes and the ghastly scar on her jaw still gave it all away. She should have known he would be punished. As if he hadn't already been punished enough.

The strapping young man ran his cold, steel fingers over his brown stubble. He was grateful that the 72% of a face he still had could even grow hair. In fact, he was glad he still had 72% of a face at this point.

Jack thought back to his plan. It had been so simple, yet so could've taken out two targets, a threat, and exacted his revenge, but Alice-Claudia- had ruined it.

The Soldier's mind had wasted away as his memories slowly began to trickle back (at least in comparison to Jack himself). He had grown desparate. He was unsure if this "friend" would still accept him. Well, Jack knew where he was, and knew how to set a simple bait trap. All it took was a bug in the Soldier's ear and a few bribes.

He had supposed the girl had gone soft. That her reflexes weren't as as sharp as before. He had been right about one thing- she was going soft. But sadly for him, her reflexes weren't going anywhere.

Jack rolled over, pondering over his much larger scale plan. If the Silver Phoenix had bombed this plan, who's to say she wouldn't bomb this one? But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it. _No_. That was impossible. It wasn't worth the punishment if he failed.

But Alice had done it.

An awful grin creeped up his face, distorting his chiseled flesh features against his shiny metal ones.

If she was to disrupt his escape, then so be it.

Captain America was right.

The price of freedom was high.

But this time, it was the debt Claudia would finally have to pay.

 **I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review and stay tuned!**


	6. The Voice in the Night

**Author's note: Heyoooo! I've had this scene planned for a loooooong time. I hope you guys like it! Please remember to leave a review!**

 **Six**

 _The Voice in the Night_

Claudia leaned against the railing on the deck. It was way past midnight, but it was still a magnificent view. The headlights of cars below pulsed like the steady heartbeat of the city. Windows of buildings were lit up all over New York. So much she could utterly destroy with a single touch, yet it had a strangely soothing effect on Claudia.

As memories started flooding back, Claudia let them overflow. She had had them stopped up for a few months now. Now, she looked back on what had happened.

It was crazy, really. But crazy was Claudia's normal.

She had escaped mercenaries aplenty, only to be led into a trap of feigned safety. Amelia Rose, the mercenary hired to "protect" (AKA kidnap) her had had a change of heart. Amelia had helped her escape that, and she'd been living in dumpsters for weeks until a week ago.

Looking both ways, she checked to see if the coast was clear. There didn't seem to be anyone within a 500 yard radius. Claudia closed her eyes and began to sing softly. She had secretly always found peace in music. Of course, nobody knew, and nobody ever could.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see."

With every reassuring word, her mind began to unwind. The idea of unconditional love perplexed her, but she was open to it if it meant she was loved.

Although she would never believe it, Claudia actually had a beautiful voice. It seemed very gentle, unexpected for someone of her background. It sounded sad. She carried on until the end of the song. She stood, her eyes still closed, in the silence. The cool wind blew through her long, feathery brown hair, twisting it into tangles.

"You know, song was ancient even in my time."

Claudia's eyes snapped open and she whirled around to face the voice. Captain Rogers was surveying the city below. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Just like the voice I didn't know you had."

"You're the only one who knows now," Claudia sighed. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Just the last two verses."

"Ah."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Couldn't sleep, same as you."

"Insomnia seems to be a common issue around here."

"Sure was where I came from."

Captain Rogers looked softly into her eyes. "I understand if you don't wanna talk about it."

"I normally wouldn't, but you seem to be the most trustworthy guy out there."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that."

"Are you saying you aren't, then?"

Captain Rogers chuckled. "I guess I am. But be warned- I still haven't paid Sam back for his little favor last year."

Claudia sighed. "I tried running, I tried hiding. Neither ever worked for long. My gaps are scattered everywhere. I've got too many scars to count," she brushed her hair away from her jaw, running her fingers along her long, smooth scar. "Must I go on? They made me kill at eight years old. I didn't even understand what I was doing. Somehow, I escaped. I ended up at various other places, all using me as a weapon like the last."

Rogers nodded his head in understanding. "Where'd you learn the song?"

"A church happens to be a warm, welcome alternative to a dumpster. Some of them would let me stay the night. A lot of churches have ghost stories along the lines of, 'we let a little girl with startling, shifting gray eyes stay the night. The lights went out after a bit. We went to check on her, but she'd disappeared.' Yep. That's me. The ghost. The monster." Claudia whispered the last two words under her breath.

"I actually don't think you're all that bad."

She looked up in surprise. "Excuse me, Captain Rogers?"

"You took a bullet for guys you'd only know for a few days." He smiled. "Please, call me Steve. I call anyone who'd take a bullet for me a friend. And you've already done just that."

"A first name basis with Captain America? Watch out, I might faint."

"Very funny. One last thing. I'd like to train you on how to use the shield."

"What?"

"I saw you use it. Natasha can fight with it pretty decently, too. Who knows when it'll come in handy?"

"Who knows."


	7. Smoke Signals

**Author's note: Hey everybody! Sorry it took so long to update! In a few chapters I'll be finishing up with this one, and then there'll be more action than this one. How would you feel about Claudia: Age of Ultron?**

 **Seven**

 _Smoke Signals_

The sun began through the plain curtains of Claudia's room. She sat up and stretched. She was very grateful that she couldn't remember her dreams this morning, as they had probably been nightmares. She couldn't believe where she was. The girl looked at the hands of the clock on the wall. 6:45. She hadn't slept that long in forever. She hopped out of bed and quickly began getting dressed for her training.

Claudia heard a knock at her door. Once decent, she answered it. "Hello?"

Captain Rogers-Steve- stood there, shield strapped to his back. "Good morning. Natasha wanted you for breakfast before training. Apparently, there's something else she wants to do today."

"Good morning to you, too. I'm guessing her floor has the hourglass next to it?"

"You guessed correctly."

"Got it. Thanks."

She closed the door and finished dressing before heading to Romanoff's floor.

"Hey, kiddo," Romanoff said casually, sitting at a small table. It was set with an extra setting "Breakfast?"

Claudia nodded and sat down. "Thank you, Miss Romanoff."

"My pleasure. I'm just glad to have another female Avenger around here."

"Trial Avenger."

"I was getting kind of tired of the boys. They're so _dramatic_ ," Romanoff rolled her eyes. "That's why I've decided that we needed a girl's day out."

Claudia lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Excuse me?"

"Come on. You have the torn, dirty outfit you showed up in and a generic training suit. We're going shopping."

"What?"

"Geez, don't go into denial just yet. At some point, you're gonna have to accept your fate. Yes, shopping."

"Why? I like my clothes!"

"Calm down, sister. It's not that bad. I'll even get you something gray. No need to panic. I understand wanting to blend in after being called out your entire life. If that jacket has any psychological value, we can just get it fixed up into your uniform. Patch it up, slap an Avengers emblem on it and there you go."

"Really? I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

"Why?"

"Because I've got the feeling you're going to end up as more than a trial Avenger."

They finished their breakfast and headed downstairs upstairs for training. Claudia changed into her comfortable training uniform and made her way to the training floor, where Captain Rogers waited. "Did you bring me a practice shield or something?" she asked, noticing the lack of an extra.

"Nope. I wanted to see how you did with the real thing."

Claudia's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"Yeah, I do." He handed her the iconic shield. It felt strangely lightweight, which she hadn't really noticed in her panic the first time she'd wielded it. She slipped her arm through the leather straps and held it firmly.

"What next?"

About an hour later, she emerged from the training room, sweating hard.

"Worked you hard, didn't he?" Romanoff, who'd been waiting by the door reading a magazine, asked.

"You could say that again."

"Go shower then meet me in the garage. You should know by now not to touch anything. We'll take the Vette."

"Yes ma'am," Claudia panted.

She did as Romanoff said and soon waited by the sleek black Corvette.

"Ready to go, kid?"

"Yeah."

"Then hop in. We're going to the mall."

Romanoff sat down and started the engine with a considerable growl. "Let's go."

The two browsed the racks of a popular teen outfitter. Claudia actually looked quite lost in the masses of fabric and frustrated with how much "fashion" was being shoved in her face just by the sheer atmosphere of the mall.

"Distracting, isn't it?" Romanoff pointedly asked, observing a charcoal gray tunic with three-quarter length sleeves. "Just _buy, buy, buy_. As if that's all there is in life." She chucked and shook her head. "But even though the whole world tells you that, you don't have to _buy_ into it."

"You're starting to sound like Captain Rogers."

"Well, his lectures really seem to get to you. Thought I'd give it a try."

"In that case, that was an awful imitation."

"I know. It's really not my thing." She held up the tunic. "You like? It's your color."

"We can try it out, I guess." Claudia eyed a loose-fitting white top with off-the-shoulder sleeves and straps to support it.

"White? Showing a tiny bit of skin? That's a refreshing change."

"No, no. It's nothing."

"No, it's not." Despite Claudia's protests, Romanoff pulled it off the rack. "I think this'd be cute on you. Oh, and we'll probably want to grab a dress for you while there'll on sale for your ceremony. You _know_ Stark will publicize your addition to the team."

"Excuse me, my _what_?"

"When you become an Avenger."

"You mean _if_."

"No, I mean _when_. I'm not blind. Thor left a few days ago on Asgardian business, and Banner's been tucked away in his lab, but even they seemed to like you."

"What about Stark?"

"He'll get over it. Clint liked you from the beginning, and I can see you've already grown on Rogers. Heck, you took a bullet for him without even thinking already. You _will_ be an Avenger, kid. The best of us, too."

Claudia looked at he ground, her eyes shifting to an overcast, uncertain ashen color. "I don't even deserve to be within a two-mile radius of the tower."

"It's not about worthiness. Why do you think I'm standing here?"

She shook her head and sighed, looking at the top. "I would, but my scars would show. I don't think I'm ready for that."

"I can see that. I can't wear bikinis for the same reason."

Claudia laughed. They checked out and found a large department store.

"So, how are we enjoying our first shopping trip?"

"It's better than sitting in my room all day," Claudia said, taking a dress into a dressing stall.

"Sure is. I'm currently in the process of trying to get them to let you come on mission. You're certainly more than able to hold your own and earn your keep."

"A _mission_?"

"Yeah. It's nice to have backup. Of course, there's the issue of communication. You can't use the comlinks like the rest of us. You may just end up sending up smoke signals, but it'll be something."

"But I'm just a kid."

"Gosh, you're such an awful liar."

"If I am, then so are you."

"Touche."

The lock slid with a click as Claudia swung open the door to present herself. The dress was silver and black, and the skirt fell to just below her knees. It fit her well, revealing her sleek build, although she barely had any hips at all. It had three-quarter length sleeves and a scoop collar. It was relatively plain except for a broad black sash with a bronze buckle.

"I like it. It really brings out your eyes."

Claudia looked at the ground and sighed. "That's normally their first clue."

"Clue to what?"

"That I'm not human."

"Just 'cause some people can't handle 'em doesn't mean they're not beautiful."

"You're sounding like Steve a again."

"Oh, we're calling him Steve now? Seems like he's already willing to adopt, then."

Claudia shrugged. "Maybe. Probably not."

They decided to buy the dress, and after a day of shopping, they went out to lunch. It was a moderately sized local pizzeria, with a good amount, but not a crowd, of people coming, dining, and going.

Claudia felt very awkward ordering. She hated it when people did things for her because she felt undeserving and unworthy of such things.

Luckily for her in that case, Romanoff's phone began to buzz shortly after the waitress brought their drinks.

"Hold on." She answered it and stepped outside, leaving Claudia sitting alone, feeling even more awkward than before. So much for leaving, then.

Claudia drummed her fingers on the table, playing with different beats. She hoped it looked normal, and not like she was being an impatient jerk or something. Music had always just fascinated her, so that's what she turned to now.

After a few minutes, Romanoff returned. "Something's come up. They've found a HYDRA base and it needs to be taken care of." She started gathering her things before looking up with a smirk. "Wanna put that new uniform to use?"

Claudia, who'd more than like to beat on something after a day of shopping, raised her eyebrows. "You must be kidding. Smoke signals, then?"

"Smoke signals."


	8. And Where There is Smoke

**Author's note: Yeaaahh I kinda took forever again, didn't I? Sorry this took so long. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Eight**

 _Where There is Smoke..._

A day prior, Jack grinned as he watched the place burn. If only Alice- Claudia- could see it now. She had hated it just as much, if not more than he had. Now, it was going up in flames. None of them could hurt him ever again, or get in the way of his revenge. If the Silver Phoenix was running with the Avengers now, all he had to do was get their attention. He may make a few enemies in the process, but Jack didn't care. After all, he was no one, no one was for him, and he was for no one. It was better, he decided, not to be tangled in strings.

Romanoff and Claudia arrived at the tower just in time to board the Quinjet. Claudia quickly put on more practical stretchy cargo pants and her new combat boots. She grabbed her jacket and slid it on over a new light gray tank top as she walked. The teen followed Romanoff on board the vehicle before hearing a stiff "no".

She was actually rather surprised that it wasn't Rogers or Stark. In fact, the voice was Barton's.

"Natasha, she's thirteen. Also, we don't have a way to communicate, she's trained for two weeks, we barely know her, and," he grabbed her arm and held Romanoff close to whisper the last part, "How do we know she's on our side?"

"Clint! What's wrong with you? I was barely out of my teens and had done a lot worse than she had when you gave me a second chance. Did you forget?"

"I just want to keep her safe, and her being a loose cannon…"

"You're one to talk about loose cannons, Barton."

"I plead the fifth."

"Besides," said Stark, approaching the group. "Loose cannons keep things interesting, don't they?" He patted Barton's arm and looked at Claudia. "You aren't planning on betraying us, are you? Widow, is she?"

Romanoff shook her head. "Nah. She's good." She sauntered up the ramp onto the Quinjet. "Coming, Claudia? Boys?"

As Claudia trotted up the ramp after Romanoff, Stark patted Barton on the back. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's don't argue with women. Especially Romanoff. Bad idea. You ought to know that by now."

Claudia sat alone in a corner of the Quinjet, trying to make sense of things as she quickly absorbed Captain Rogers' briefing.

"Claudia. You and I are on the ground. I want you dismantling the shields and security from the northwest side. Wait for my signal, and please, don't make the whole thing explode. After that, I want you to back up Barton in the control room. You're okay with jumping?"

"Absolutely," Claudia grinned. But still, her mind wandered. The Avengers had taken her in; even after they found out she had lied to them. Heck, Rogers had let her stay on his floor and Romanoff had taken her _shopping_. She couldn't understand it, having grown up among dishonest, ruthless spies and killers. Mercy was such a foreign concept to her. It was certainly an awful strategy as far as logic went. She could easily betray them at any time. Not that she would, of course.

Her train of thought was interrupted by another person taking a seat next to her. Her eyes snapped awake from staring at the wall, which she seemed prone to do.

"Hey," Banner said. "Um, I hope it's okay for me to sit here."

"It's fine, Dr. Banner."

"I just was thinking that I should get to know our newest addition."

"You and I both. I don't feel like a teenage ex-assassin with freakish powers and brain issues is exactly Avenger material."

Banner raised his eyebrows. "And you think we are?"

"Well, yeah."

"A patriotic icon having a culture shock, a snarky billionaire genius with a suit of armor, an Asgardian with family issues, two ex-assassins and a scientist who turns into a giant green rage monster? I think you'll fit right in."

Claudia smirked. "Aw shucks. You're gonna make me blush."

Banner laughed. "Don't mention it."

"Oh, I won't"

Suddenly, the plane began to quake. "We're hit," Barton said from the cockpit.

"Looks like we won't have to search too hard for that HYDRA base. They just sent the welcoming committee," Stark remarked. Avengers rushed around the jet, gearing up. Claudia jumped to her feet, zipping up her jacket and pulling on her fingerless gloves. She slipped a small, heavily padded device in her pocket. She tied her new black mask over her nose and mouth. The teen stood ready with a single handgun in a holster on her right hip. She heard a voice from beside her, "on your left." She glanced sideways to see Captain Rogers and smiled slightly under her mask. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Sure you wanna do this, chicken nugget?" Stark asked, clad in his full armor with the exception of his mask.

"Chicken nugget?"

"You're the Silver Phoenix, a phoenix is a fire bird, which led me to fried chicken, and you're a kid, so that means you're a chicken nugget."

"Um, yeah. Sure," Claudia said, half ignoring him, as she was learning to do, and fastening her parachute.

With a loud _whirr_ , the bay doors opened. The wind whistled in Claudia's ears and whipped the loose ends of the knot tied in her mask. Hair blew in her face as she adjusted her protective goggles.

"On my mark," Rogers commanded. "Three, two, _one._ "

Claudia backed up and ran with all her might, throwing herself fearlessly into the fierce wind. The cold bit into her flesh as she dropped like a stone. Her heart pounded at what felt like a thousand beats per minute. She felt like the was flying, with the exception of the ground getting closer.

She pulled her chute and was suddenly jerked upwards. She floated towards the ground, and landed with her knees perfectly bent. The teen searched the landscape for Rogers, but was distracted by a sickening smell. _Smoke._

Claudia felt a pair of eyes boring into her from behind. A gravelly, metallic voice that she had once known to be warm and sad whispered dementedly from the shadows, "happy yet, silly girl? Took you long enough."

"What have they done to you?"

"The same that they did to you, but I chose to let it make me stronger. You are weak. You must give it up."

"You know that I couldn't. It's not in my nature."

"The one you invented as nothing more than an escape? That's all you ever do. Escape. Abandon. Create a new shell rather than facing who you truly are. A monster."

"What have you done? All monsters are human, Jack."

"Not anymore. Look at me."

"Not until you tell me."

"I thought-"

"Tell me."

"They stripped me of my humanity." Even though Claudia wasn't looking at him, she could sense the grin creeping up his face. Her spine tingled. "I hadn't realized what a favor they were doing me. They were cutting me off from what could never be. And now, I'm free. As for what I've done? I replaced the Avengers coordinates with my own. I thought you would be happy to see my good work."

"You mean, this is-?"

"Yes! Give the girl a prize. Oh wait, I already did- One less piece of your past to run from."

Claudia whipped around to feel his cold, sticky, corpse-like breath on her face. It smelled like he _had_ died. But Claudia remained unfazed. "You ought to know it's not that simple. If you can change from the man you were to whatever you are now, I can be good. It _is_ a choice."

A red light in place of an eye glared unblinkingly back at her. "I still don't understand."

"Here's hoping you will. Eventually." Claudia grabbed him by his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jack."

Then she did what she'd done for too long.

She ran, hoping that she was headed in the right direction.

 **Please remember to leave a review!**


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